Chosen Prey (7 page)

Feeling a little lighter at heart—yet at the same time somehow disappointed—Lyra did her best to be talkative. The woman seemed a little tense at first but gradually warmed to Lyra on the short ride to the bus stop. This time Lyra didn't ask if she could help pay for gas. After she climbed out of the car, before she closed the sedan's door, she dug in her pack and found a five-dollar bill.

She tossed it on the car seat and said, "Thank you."

The woman protested, but Lyra closed the door, smiled, and waved before striding around the corner of the building. She opened a glass door and walked into the small bus station.

Lyra hugged the backpack to her chest using one arm as she stood in the short line to get her bus ticket. With her free hand she opened one of the zippered pockets just enough to dig out more cash for the ticket and to grab her ID before zipping the pocket back up again. Trying to relax was futile as she stood in line waiting for her turn. She casually looked around the lobby of the bus station. No sight of any of The People. She kept her sunglasses on in case.

Still she felt like something was crawling up her spine.

When she purchased her ticket to Phoenix, the clerk only casually looked from Lyra's ID to her face before taking her cash and handing her the ticket.

She left the air-conditioned chill of the bus station lobby to enter the July sunshine and sat on a sun-warmed bench to wait for the bus. The green bench smelled like it had been newly painted. Between that and the exhaust from passing cars, she got a headache.

Okay, while she waited she could eat her Danish and have time to make the calls she had needed to make since last night. She slipped her hand into her pack, felt around, and grabbed the plastic-wrapped apple Danish. After setting her pack on the bench beside her, she opened the package to eat her breakfast. She managed to keep her fingers from getting sticky and got up to toss the wrapper into a nearby garbage can.

A droplet of sweat rolled down her neck and between her breasts from the heat, and her hair started to stick to her moist forehead. Sierra Vista was a few degrees warmer than Bisbee.

She gave a wry smile.
But it's a dry heat
.

Lyra plopped back onto the bench and reached into her backpack for her cell phone to make her calls to Becca and her other friends. Her grip on her pack slipped. All of her art tools and the small treasured tin she'd made from her artwork tumbled out and onto the concrete.

"Crap!" The friggin' Velcro hadn't held on one of the side pockets. Lyra scooted off the bench, bent down to pick up the tin and the few tools she used for her metalwork, and stuffed them back into the pack—this time inside.

She stood and had started to sling her pack over her shoulder when a large hand caught her by her upper arm.

Lyra went rigid as she was jerked against a hard, wiry body.

A sick feeling dropped to her belly as Mark said close to her ear, "It's about fucking time, Lyra."

"
Let. Me. Go
." Lyra punctuated every word while trying to keep her tone controlled.

"I'll scream so loud everyone on the block will hear me."

Mark pressed something hard and small against her lower back. Her heart slammed against her breastbone. Chills scrabbled up and down her spine, more intense this time than when she thought she was being watched earlier.

"I've had men waiting at every bus stop in the county," he continued. "Wouldn't have recognized you if you hadn't dropped that tin out of your backpack." He moved his hand from her arm to slip into her short hair, and his breath wanned her ear as he moved his lips closer. Her skin crawled. "Wonder what Neal will think of your new look. I'm pretty sure he won't be too happy, and you'll probably get your ass whipped for it."

Heat bubbled up inside her and she started to shake. Not only did fear course through her body, but she felt hot, raging fury at the man behind her, along with anger at her own stupidity.

"Come on." Adam moved into her line of vision and she saw that he was pretty banged up. Probably from the fight with Dare. Adam's gaze darted from side to side. "We've gotta get her out of here."

She didn't want to die, but would that be preferable to returning to Neal?

No. She'd get away from them. She'd change her appearance again. Shave her head even. One way or another, she'd escape and stay out of their reach.

Mark moved his arm down to her shoulder and kept his body close and what she assumed was a gun between them.

Heart pounding and mind racing, Lyra clenched the handle of her pack and walked with rigid steps around the corner of the building. The moment they moved into the deserted parking lot and stood beside the van, Lyra kicked her heel against Mark's shin as hard as she could. She caught him by surprise and whirled away from his grip.

She went stone cold and absolutely still when she saw Mark pointing a gun at her, his bruised face purple with anger.

"I don't care if you live or die," he said, his voice trembling.

Confusion flowed through Lyra and she blinked. Wasn't he one of the stupid believers?

He was one of the very few who knew about the Prophecy—at least that had been the case when she lived in the Temple. Why would he want to kill her now?

"Mark…" came Adam's concerned tone. "Just get her into the van."

"Adam, this Prophecy crap is crazy. You know it." Lyra backed up against the van door, her eyes on the gun. "Tell Mark to let me go."

A black blur whirled in front of her as a man rammed his booted foot against Mark's gun hand.

The gun went flying, landed on the asphalt, and skittered across its surface.

Relief shot through her.
Dare
!

Fury rode Dare like a mustang fighting for his territory. Dare plowed his fist into Mark's jaw. The man's head snapped to the side. Dare swung his leg out and swept Mark's legs out from beneath him so that the bastard fell hard onto the asphalt.

Goddamnit
. If Dare hadn't been caught in a clog in traffic caused by an accident on his way here, he would have had Lyra before any of this happened.

The other man, called Adam, jumped onto Dare's back. In a quick movement, Dare flipped Adam over his shoulder. The man landed on his back with a grunt of pain.

At the same time, Lyra had dropped her pack and bolted across the asphalt for Mark's gun.

Mark scrambled to his feet and dived for Lyra.

She cried out as he caught her by the ankles and brought her down hard on her belly and chest. Her sunglasses went flying and she spit out her bubblegum.

Lyra stretched her fingers just far enough that she grasped the butt of the handgun.

Mark grabbed her by her waist, drawing her closer to him.

She twisted in Mark's grip, flipped over, and pointed the barrel at Mark's head.

"I really don't give a crap what happens to you," she said in a harsh voice. "It's obvious this is self-defense, and I have a witness to prove it." Her arms didn't even tremble as she held the gun with both hands. "A local PI is going to have a lot more clout than a dirty sonofabitch like you." She gave him a cold smile. "Not to mention I'm beneath you, so the angle of the shot will prove that I'm defending myself. Don't think for a moment I won't."

That's my girl
, Dare thought as he drew out his own gun and aimed it at Adam.

Mark gave Lyra a furious, vicious look as blood dripped from one corner of his mouth.

He smeared the blood across his cheek with the sleeve of his shirt. "The cowboy may have saved your ass again, bitch, but next time—we've got something special planned for you."

Lyra couldn't help the cold encasing her heart at his words. By the look on his face as he pushed himself to his feet, she knew he meant every word. No, this wasn't the end. This was just a delay.

Dare appeared at Mark's side, and before she knew it, he slammed his fist into Mark's jaw.

Mark staggered sideways and shook his head. More blood spilled from his mouth, and his teeth were coated in red as he regained his balance and growled. His braid was partially undone, and a chunk of loose hair crossed his face.

"Out of here." Adam grabbed Mark by the sleeve and gestured to the street. "Car."

From the corner of her eye, Lyra saw an old station wagon pulling into the parking lot.

Mark didn't take his gaze off Lyra as Adam guided him into the passenger seat of the van.

Lyra ran to a nearby dumpster and flung Mark's gun into it, so the people in the car wouldn't see it. She saw Dare putting away his gun.

The next thing she knew, Dare had her by the elbow, her pack in his free hand. He practically marched her to his black SUV and lifted her into the passenger seat before she had a chance to climb in by herself. He threw her backpack at her feet, then slammed the door.

Sweat plastered her hair against the side of her face and she felt like her makeup was melting. Her breathing came hard and fast as she collapsed against the seat. The gun dug into her lower back.

Mark and Adam drove their van out of the lot, then her gaze landed on the couple exiting the station wagon. The man and woman gave her and Dare curious looks. Lyra glanced away.

Dare slid into the driver's seat of the SUV. His grim expression and the fire in his eyes told her he was pissed. Beyond pissed.

Damn
. She'd been so sure she could take care of herself, and here she was, relying on this stranger again.

He didn't start the vehicle. Instead he gave her a long, hard look. His eyes darkened and his lips tightened into a thin line.

Before she knew what was happening, Dare grabbed her by cupping the back of her head and pulled her roughly to him. The console pressed against her belly.

Lyra gasped as he smashed his lips against hers and gave her a hard, fierce kiss. His tongue plunged into her mouth and he kissed her like he was conquering her, then owned her. She pressed her palms against his chest and tried to push away, but he clenched his hand in her hair and drew her tightly to him. She gripped his T-shirt in her fists.

And then she began to give in. And to give back as good as he was giving.

She was drowning.

He smelled so good. Tasted so good. Of battle, fire, and passion.

Slowly the kiss became less angry and more sensuous. Lyra's breasts ached and her nipples hardened. When Dare reached into her T-shirt and pulled out one sock and then the other, she shivered at the contact of his hand against her flesh. After he tossed aside the second sock, he slipped his hand into her bra and rubbed one of her nipples with his thumb.

Lyra moaned against his mouth. Her head was practically spinning as she moved her hands from his chest, up his neck, and into his hair that was damp with sweat. Her sex throbbed like mad, and electric sensations zinged through her belly.

He moved his hand and thumbed her other nipple and she thought she'd lose it. The tingling between her thighs increased so much she felt like she'd explode. She'd given herself orgasms before, using her fingers, but she knew it would be so much better—out of this world—to experience a climax with Dare.

Suddenly he jerked away from the kiss and she wanted to draw him back to her. His eyes still had an angry spark to them, but it only made her want him more.

"Don't ever leave like that again," he growled. "You need protection, and I'm damn well going to be the one to give it to you."

"If you kiss me like this every time I take off," she said, trying to catch her breath, "I might just do it again. And again."

His features relaxed and he eased his hold on her hair while slipping his other out from her tank top. He cupped her face in both hands and gave her a soft kiss that sent more electric thrills to her belly. She'd never wanted someone so badly as she wanted Dare at that moment.

The mere thought shocked her to her core.

She'd never wanted any man until him. She'd never trusted a man enough to let him get close to her. Trusting a man enough to have sex with him—never.

The wild sensations coursing through her body right now were telling her differently.

She let her hands slide down from his hair to his chest, and his skin burned her fingers through the T-shirt. She snatched them away and clasped both of her hands in her lap. The look he gave her told her he more than wanted her, too.

He glanced from her long enough to dig the keys out of his pocket, jam them into the ignition, and start the SUV. He gave her a long look that caused butterflies to zip through her belly before he turned his attention to driving out of the parking lot and into traffic.

"They're likely to look for a vehicle like this one at all the hotels," he said. She thought his voice shook a little, and his knuckles were white as he clenched the steering wheel. She was surprised at the pleasure she felt when she realized it was because he wanted her.

"We'll ditch this one for something different."

Dare's heart pounded, and he tried to take his mind off of what had just happened between them. He wanted her with such intensity it blew his mind. But after what she'd been through—she had to be ready. She'd have to want him as much as he wanted her.

After driving up and down various streets to be sure they weren't being followed, Dare headed to a car dealership off the main drag. He cut to the chase as soon as he walked into the showroom. He told the floor manager exactly what he wanted and how much he was going to pay. The manager didn't argue or try to haggle when he saw how serious Dare was and that he didn't have time to mess around. The transaction for the black, low-slung sports car with dark tinted windows was finished within an hour and a half. Part of the deal was that the dealership would keep Dare's SUV in the back after detailing it.

The powerful engine of the sports car roared as Dare shot through traffic, just barely keeping the vehicle ten miles over the speed limit. He continuously kept his eye out for anyone who might be following him, but his and Lyra's luck held.

It was a nice hotel with a restaurant and room service, and Dare could use a good meal right about now. This hotel, a far cry from the casita they'd rented in Tombstone, was luxurious in comparison.

Lyra had handed him the cash for the night's stay when they were in the car. He didn't argue with her take-charge attitude. The woman didn't look like she was one to be messed with right now.

After Dare checked in, he went out to the car and grabbed his bag and Lyra's backpack out of the trunk. She walked beside him into the hotel without talking.

When they reached the room, they slammed the door shut, tossed their bags on the floor, and just looked at each other. They stood just inches apart, and Lyra's heart pounded.

He took the step that brought them together and he cupped her face in his hands. She caught her breath as he brought his mouth to hers.

Since she'd left the cult she hadn't let a man touch her in any way… until Dare.

This time he brushed his lips back and forth over hers and she trembled. When the pressure increased he remained gentle, almost tentative. His tongue entered her mouth and she tasted him. Such a masculine flavor. She followed him, letting him teach her how to kiss. How to really kiss. Those few teenage fumbling attempts before the Temple of Light were nothing compared to having a man like Dare kiss her.

The contact in the SUV had been so filled with fire and emotion from the fight with Mark and Adam. The kiss she and Dare had shared had been a release of all the intensity of what they'd experienced. His way of telling her he was in charge now, that he was going to take care of her.

She had responded with matching need. Primal need that had taken over all her senses.

And now she wanted that fire, wanted whatever he could give her. Dare drew away and she licked the moisture from her lips as she looked up at him and he smiled down at her.

So sexy, so sensual.

He reached up to tuck her short hair behind her ear and his smile slipped away as he said, "We have some talking to do."

Lyra rubbed her hands up and down her upper arms, warding off a sudden chill that took away the warmth of his kiss. She moved out of his embrace and toward the window.